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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: ball · dip · net · wound · lash · mouse · spring · board

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. net — for catching
  3. spring — the season
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. wound — an injury
  7. net — after costs
  8. spring — of water
  9. board — to get on
  10. dip — to sink
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. ball — a dance
  15. spring — a coil
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. board — a committee
  18. net — in sport
  19. ball — a great time
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. wound — an injury

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com